feat(search): offer a quarter-mile distance

Adds "Within 0.25 miles" to the Distance control; 0.5 stays the default.
The radius shown in the results heading and drawn on the map was rounded
to one decimal place, which would have turned 0.25 into 0.3. It now keeps
two, and the list heading says "1 mile" rather than "1.0 miles".

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>

e2e/tests/journeys.spec.ts

@@ -270,6 +270,9 @@ test('searching by name returns school results', async ({ page }) => {
 test('searching by postcode returns nearby schools', async ({ page }) => {
   await searchByName(page, 'B1 1BB');
   await expect(schoolLinks(page).first()).toBeVisible({ timeout: 15_000 });
+  // A new postcode search starts at half a mile.
+  await expect(page).toHaveURL(/[?&]radius=0\.5(&|$)/);
+  await expect(page.getByRole('combobox', { name: 'Distance' })).toHaveValue('0.5');
 });
 
 test('the phase filter switches straight from secondary to primary', async ({ page }) => {
@@ -572,6 +575,38 @@ test('the results toolbar stays pinned with its List/Map switch', async ({ page
     .toHaveAttribute('aria-pressed', 'true');
 });
 
+/*
+ * The toolbar's line count is set by the screen width, never by the results.
+ * It once wrapped wherever it ran out of room, and the List/Map switch only
+ * appears when there are results — so the same search took two lines with
+ * results and one without.
+ */
+test('the results toolbar keeps its line count whether or not there are results', async ({ page }) => {
+  const withResults = '/?postcode=B1%201BB&radius=1';
+  // No school type matches this, so the same search returns nothing.
+  const without = `${withResults}&school_type=no-such-type`;
+
+  const lines = async (url: string) => {
+    await page.goto(url);
+    // By label: the input is a combobox when autosuggest is on.
+    const input = page.getByLabel('School name or postcode', { exact: true });
+    const filters = page.getByRole('group', { name: 'Filters' });
+    await expect(filters).toBeVisible({ timeout: 15_000 });
+    const a = (await input.boundingBox())!;
+    const b = (await filters.boundingBox())!;
+    return b.y >= a.y + a.height ? 2 : 1;
+  };
+  const view = page.getByRole('group', { name: 'Results view' });
+
+  for (const [width, expected] of [[1400, 1], [1100, 2]] as const) {
+    await page.setViewportSize({ width, height: 800 });
+    expect(await lines(withResults), `${width}px with results`).toBe(expected);
+    await expect(view).toBeVisible();
+    expect(await lines(without), `${width}px without results`).toBe(expected);
+    await expect(view).toHaveCount(0);
+  }
+});
+
 /*
  * Desktop opens a postcode search on the map (mockup B): the list in a pane on
  * the left, the map filling the rest of the screen, and a card on the map for

nextjs-app/__tests__/components/FilterBarRadius.test.tsx

@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+import { render, screen, waitFor } from '@testing-library/react';
+import userEvent from '@testing-library/user-event';
+import { FilterBar } from '@/components/FilterBar';
+
+const push = jest.fn();
+let searchParams = new URLSearchParams();
+jest.mock('next/navigation', () => ({
+  useRouter: () => ({ push, replace: jest.fn(), prefetch: jest.fn() }),
+  usePathname: () => '/',
+  useSearchParams: () => searchParams,
+}));
+
+const FILTERS = {
+  local_authorities: [], school_types: [], years: [], phases: [],
+  genders: [], admissions_policies: [],
+};
+
+beforeEach(() => {
+  push.mockClear();
+  searchParams = new URLSearchParams();
+});
+
+describe('FilterBar default distance', () => {
+  it('searches a new postcode within half a mile', async () => {
+    render(<FilterBar filters={FILTERS} />);
+    await userEvent.type(screen.getByPlaceholderText(/School name or postcode/i), 'SW19 6AR{Enter}');
+    await waitFor(() => expect(push).toHaveBeenCalledWith(expect.stringContaining('radius=0.5')));
+  });
+
+  it('shows half a mile when the URL carries a postcode but no radius', () => {
+    searchParams = new URLSearchParams('postcode=SW196AR');
+    render(<FilterBar filters={FILTERS} />);
+    expect(screen.getByRole('combobox', { name: 'Distance' })).toHaveValue('0.5');
+  });
+
+  it('keeps a distance the user already chose', async () => {
+    searchParams = new URLSearchParams('postcode=SW196AR&radius=3');
+    render(<FilterBar filters={FILTERS} />);
+    expect(screen.getByRole('combobox', { name: 'Distance' })).toHaveValue('3');
+  });
+});
+
+describe('FilterBar distance options', () => {
+  it('offers a quarter mile without making it the default', () => {
+    searchParams = new URLSearchParams('postcode=SW196AR');
+    render(<FilterBar filters={FILTERS} />);
+    const distance = screen.getByRole('combobox', { name: 'Distance' });
+    expect([...(distance as HTMLSelectElement).options].map(o => o.value)).toEqual(['0.25', '0.5', '1', '3', '5']);
+    expect(distance).toHaveValue('0.5');
+  });
+});

nextjs-app/__tests__/components/HomeView.staleFetch.test.tsx

@@ -18,7 +18,10 @@ jest.mock('@/lib/api', () => ({
   fetchNationalAverages: jest.fn(async () => ({})),
   fetchLAaverages: jest.fn(async () => ({ secondary: { attainment_8_by_la: {} } })),
 }));
-jest.mock('@/components/FilterBar', () => ({ FilterBar: () => null }));
+// Renders only the List/Map switch HomeView hands it, which lives in its row.
+jest.mock('@/components/FilterBar', () => ({
+  FilterBar: ({ viewSwitch }: { viewSwitch?: unknown }) => viewSwitch || null,
+}));
 jest.mock('@/components/SchoolRow', () => ({ SchoolRow: ({ school }: {school: School}) => <div>{school.school_name}</div> }));
 jest.mock('@/components/SchoolMap', () => ({ SchoolMap: ({ schools }: {schools: School[]}) => <div data-testid="map">{schools.map(s => s.school_name).join(',')}</div> }));
 

nextjs-app/__tests__/components/ResultsMapView.test.tsx

@@ -24,7 +24,10 @@ jest.mock('@/lib/api', () => ({
   fetchNationalAverages: jest.fn(),
   fetchLAaverages: jest.fn(async () => ({ secondary: { attainment_8_by_la: {} } })),
 }));
-jest.mock('@/components/FilterBar', () => ({ FilterBar: () => null }));
+// Renders only the List/Map switch HomeView hands it, which lives in its row.
+jest.mock('@/components/FilterBar', () => ({
+  FilterBar: ({ viewSwitch }: { viewSwitch?: unknown }) => viewSwitch || null,
+}));
 jest.mock('@/components/SchoolMap', () => ({
   SchoolMap: ({ selectedUrn, radiusMiles, onMarkerClick, schools }: {
     selectedUrn: number | null; radiusMiles?: number;
@@ -177,5 +180,16 @@ it('lets a keyboard pick a pin from the list, with a real button', async () => {
 it('keeps the postcode in the heading in list view, where there is room', async () => {
   await renderMap();
   fireEvent.click(screen.getByRole('button', { name: 'List' }));
-  expect(screen.getByRole('heading', { name: '3 schools within 1.0 miles of SW196AR' })).toBeInTheDocument();
+  expect(screen.getByRole('heading', { name: '3 schools within 1 mile of SW196AR' })).toBeInTheDocument();
+});
+
+it('draws and names a quarter-mile search as 0.25, not rounded to 0.3', async () => {
+  params = new URLSearchParams('postcode=SW196AR&radius=0.25');
+  const quarter = { ...results(), location_info: { postcode: 'SW196AR', radius: 0.25 * 1.60934, coordinates: [51.42, -0.21] } } as SchoolsResponse;
+  render(<HomeView initialSchools={quarter} filters={filters} />);
+  await act(async () => {});
+  expect(screen.getByTestId('map')).toHaveAttribute('data-radius', '0.25');
+  expect(screen.getByRole('heading', { name: '3 schools within 0.25 miles' })).toBeInTheDocument();
+  fireEvent.click(screen.getByRole('button', { name: 'List' }));
+  expect(screen.getByRole('heading', { name: '3 schools within 0.25 miles of SW196AR' })).toBeInTheDocument();
 });

nextjs-app/app/(frontend)/page.tsx

@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 import { absoluteUrl } from '@/lib/site';
 import type { Metadata } from 'next';
 import { fetchSchools, fetchFilters, fetchDataInfo } from '@/lib/api';
-import { formatAcademicYear } from '@/lib/utils';
+import { DEFAULT_RADIUS_MILES, formatAcademicYear } from '@/lib/utils';
 import { HomeView } from '@/components/HomeView';
 import { getFlags } from '@/lib/flags';
 import { HowItWorksSection } from '@/components/HowItWorksSection';
@@ -71,7 +71,9 @@ export default async function HomePage({ searchParams }: HomePageProps) {
 
   // Parse search params
   const page = parseInt(params.page || '1');
-  const radius = params.radius ? parseFloat(params.radius) : undefined;
+  // Without this the API applies its own 5-mile default while the Distance
+  // control shows DEFAULT_RADIUS_MILES.
+  const radius = params.radius ? parseFloat(params.radius) : DEFAULT_RADIUS_MILES;
 
   // Check if user has performed a search
   const hasSearchParams = !!(

nextjs-app/components/FilterBar.module.css

@@ -40,8 +40,19 @@
   margin: 0 auto 1.5rem;
 }
 
-/* One row where it fits: the search takes what the controls leave, and the
-   "More filters" panel breaks onto its own line below both. */
+/*
+ * One row on wide screens, two below 1340px — decided by the width alone,
+ * never by what the search returned.
+ *
+ * The row once wrapped wherever it ran out of room, and its contents change
+ * with the results: the List/Map switch beside it, the distance chip and Clear
+ * all come and go. So the same search folded onto two lines when it had
+ * results and sat on one when it had none. Now the controls never wrap away
+ * from the search on a wide screen; the search box takes what they leave, and
+ * 1340px is where the fullest toolbar (distance, phase, type, More filters,
+ * Clear and the switch) still leaves it 12rem. The "More filters" panel breaks
+ * onto its own line below both.
+ */
 .filterBar:not(.heroMode) {
   display: flex;
   flex-wrap: wrap;
@@ -56,10 +67,34 @@
 }
 
 .filterBar:not(.heroMode) .searchSection {
-  flex: 1 1 320px;
+  flex: 1 1 0;
   min-width: 0;
 }
 
+.filterBar:not(.heroMode) .controlsRow {
+  flex: 0 0 auto;
+  flex-wrap: nowrap;
+}
+
+/* The List/Map switch closes the line; the "More filters" panel follows it. */
+.viewSwitchSlot {
+  flex: 0 0 auto;
+  order: 1;
+}
+
+/* Below that, the switch stays up beside the search and the controls always
+   take a full-width line of their own, results or not. */
+@media (min-width: 641px) and (max-width: 1339px) {
+  .viewSwitchSlot {
+    order: 0;
+  }
+
+  .filterBar:not(.heroMode) .controlsRow {
+    flex-basis: 100%;
+    flex-wrap: wrap;
+  }
+}
+
 /* Only phones fold the form away; see the 640px block. */
 .searchSummary {
   display: none;
@@ -324,8 +359,9 @@
   font-weight: 500;
   white-space: nowrap;
   /* A select is as wide as its longest option, and a school type can run to
-     "Academy special sponsor led". Cap it; the chosen value truncates. */
-  max-width: 14rem;
+     "Academy special sponsor led". Cap it; the chosen value truncates. The cap
+     is part of the one-line budget above. */
+  max-width: 11rem;
   text-overflow: ellipsis;
 }
 
@@ -363,6 +399,7 @@
    pushing the results off a short screen. The 3px gutter keeps the selects'
    focus rings clear of the scroll clip. */
 .filters {
+  order: 2;
   flex-basis: 100%;
   display: flex;
   gap: 0.625rem;
@@ -579,6 +616,12 @@
     display: none;
   }
 
+  /* Phones switch views with the floating button (HomeView, .mobileDock). An
+     empty slot would still take a gap in this column. */
+  .viewSwitchSlot {
+    display: none;
+  }
+
   /* Bleeds to the screen edge so a chip scrolls out from under it, rather than
      being cut off at the toolbar's padding. The toolbar's inline padding is
      1rem at this width (HomeView.module.css, .resultsToolbar). The 4px of

nextjs-app/components/FilterBar.tsx

@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 import { useState, useCallback, useTransition, useRef, useEffect } from "react";
 import type { ReactNode } from "react";
 import { useRouter, useSearchParams, usePathname } from "next/navigation";
-import { isValidPostcode, schoolUrl } from "@/lib/utils";
+import { DEFAULT_RADIUS_MILES, isValidPostcode, schoolUrl } from "@/lib/utils";
 import { track } from "@/lib/analytics";
 import { useSchoolSuggest } from "@/hooks/useSchoolSuggest";
 import { SuggestList, suggestOptionId } from "./SuggestList";
@@ -22,6 +22,12 @@ interface FilterBarProps {
   geoError?: string | null;
   /** Server-read feature flag. Off means no listener, no fetch, no markup. */
   autosuggest?: boolean;
+  /**
+   * The results page's List/Map switch. It sits in this bar's own row rather
+   * than beside it, so that when the bar takes two lines the filters' line
+   * runs the full width instead of stopping short of the switch.
+   */
+  viewSwitch?: ReactNode;
 }
 
 /**
@@ -54,6 +60,7 @@ export function FilterBar({
   geoState = "idle",
   geoError,
   autosuggest = false,
+  viewSwitch,
 }: FilterBarProps) {
   const router = useRouter();
   const pathname = usePathname();
@@ -63,7 +70,7 @@ export function FilterBar({
 
   const currentSearch = searchParams.get("search") || "";
   const currentPostcode = searchParams.get("postcode") || "";
-  const currentRadius = searchParams.get("radius") || "1";
+  const currentRadius = searchParams.get("radius") || String(DEFAULT_RADIUS_MILES);
   const initialOmniValue = currentPostcode || currentSearch;
 
   const [omniValue, setOmniValue] = useState(initialOmniValue);
@@ -262,7 +269,7 @@ export function FilterBar({
     if (isPostcode) {
       updateURL({
         postcode: cleaned.toUpperCase(),
-        radius: currentRadius || "1",
+        radius: currentRadius,
         search: "",
       });
     } else {
@@ -452,6 +459,9 @@ export function FilterBar({
 
       {!isHero && (
         <>
+          {viewSwitch && (
+            <div className={styles.viewSwitchSlot}>{viewSwitch}</div>
+          )}
           {/* Every control here is a real <select> or <button>, drawn as a
               pill. On phones the row scrolls sideways rather than wrapping, so
               the pinned toolbar stays two lines tall. */}
@@ -471,6 +481,7 @@ export function FilterBar({
                   aria-label="Distance"
                   disabled={isPending}
                 >
+                  <option value="0.25">Within 0.25 miles</option>
                   <option value="0.5">Within 0.5 miles</option>
                   <option value="1">Within 1 mile</option>
                   <option value="3">Within 3 miles</option>

nextjs-app/components/HomeView.tsx

@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ import { useComparisonContext } from '@/context/ComparisonContext';
 import { fetchSchools, fetchLAaverages, fetchNationalAverages } from '@/lib/api';
 import type { SchoolsResponse, Filters, School } from '@/lib/types';
 import { track } from '@/lib/analytics';
+import { DEFAULT_RADIUS_MILES } from '@/lib/utils';
 import styles from './HomeView.module.css';
 
 interface HomeViewProps {
@@ -340,6 +341,7 @@ export function HomeView({ initialSchools, filters, totalSchools, howItWorks, ed
     setIsLoadingMap(true);
     const params: Record<string, any> = {};
     searchParams.forEach((value, key) => { params[key] = value; });
+    params.radius ??= DEFAULT_RADIUS_MILES;
     params.page = 1;
     params.page_size = 500;
     fetchSchools(params, { cache: 'no-store', signal: controller.signal })
@@ -419,7 +421,7 @@ export function HomeView({ initialSchools, filters, totalSchools, howItWorks, ed
             setGeoState('idle');
             track('near_me_used', { outcome: 'granted' });
             track('search_submitted', { query: postcode, via: 'near_me', has_postcode: true, filters_active: '', filters_count: 0 });
-            router.push(`/?postcode=${encodeURIComponent(postcode)}&radius=1`);
+            router.push(`/?postcode=${encodeURIComponent(postcode)}&radius=${DEFAULT_RADIUS_MILES}`);
           } else {
             track('near_me_used', { outcome: 'no_postcode' });
             setGeoState('error');
@@ -459,8 +461,9 @@ export function HomeView({ initialSchools, filters, totalSchools, howItWorks, ed
   // open card); only the list beside it is sorted.
   const mapResultSchools = mapSchools.length > 0 ? mapSchools : initialSchools.schools;
   const mapListSchools = sortSchools(mapResultSchools);
+  // Two places, so a 0.25-mile search is not drawn or labelled as 0.3.
   const radiusMiles = initialSchools.location_info
-    ? Number((initialSchools.location_info.radius / 1.60934).toFixed(1))
+    ? Number((initialSchools.location_info.radius / 1.60934).toFixed(2))
     : undefined;
 
   // Empty-results sentinel: track when a search returns nothing.
@@ -594,8 +597,8 @@ export function HomeView({ initialSchools, filters, totalSchools, howItWorks, ed
             drops the postcode, which the search box just above already shows. */}
         {isMapView && radiusMiles != null
           ? `${schoolCount} within ${radiusMiles} mile${radiusMiles === 1 ? '' : 's'}`
-          : isLocationSearch && initialSchools.location_info
-          ? `${schoolCount} within ${(initialSchools.location_info.radius / 1.60934).toFixed(1)} miles of ${initialSchools.location_info.postcode}`
+          : isLocationSearch && radiusMiles != null && initialSchools.location_info
+          ? `${schoolCount} within ${radiusMiles} mile${radiusMiles === 1 ? '' : 's'} of ${initialSchools.location_info.postcode}`
           : `${schoolCount} found`
         }
       </h2>
@@ -713,29 +716,29 @@ export function HomeView({ initialSchools, filters, totalSchools, howItWorks, ed
             geoState={geoState}
             geoError={geoError}
             autosuggest={autosuggest}
+            viewSwitch={hasViewSwitch && (
+              <div className={styles.viewSwitch} role="group" aria-label="Results view">
+                <button
+                  type="button"
+                  className={styles.viewSwitchBtn}
+                  aria-pressed={resultsView === 'list'}
+                  onClick={() => changeView('list', 'toolbar')}
+                >
+                  <ListIcon />
+                  List
+                </button>
+                <button
+                  type="button"
+                  className={styles.viewSwitchBtn}
+                  aria-pressed={resultsView === 'map'}
+                  onClick={() => changeView('map', 'toolbar')}
+                >
+                  <MapIcon />
+                  Map
+                </button>
+              </div>
+            )}
           />
-          {hasViewSwitch && (
-            <div className={styles.viewSwitch} role="group" aria-label="Results view">
-              <button
-                type="button"
-                className={styles.viewSwitchBtn}
-                aria-pressed={resultsView === 'list'}
-                onClick={() => changeView('list', 'toolbar')}
-              >
-                <ListIcon />
-                List
-              </button>
-              <button
-                type="button"
-                className={styles.viewSwitchBtn}
-                aria-pressed={resultsView === 'map'}
-                onClick={() => changeView('map', 'toolbar')}
-              >
-                <MapIcon />
-                Map
-              </button>
-            </div>
-          )}
         </div>
       )}
 

nextjs-app/lib/utils.ts

@@ -235,6 +235,9 @@ export function getVariabilityLabel(stdDev: number | null): string {
 // Validation
 // ============================================================================
 
+/** Radius a postcode search uses until the user picks another. */
+export const DEFAULT_RADIUS_MILES = 0.5;
+
 /**
  * Validate UK postcode format
  */